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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. capital — a city
  6. degree — an amount
  7. degree — temperature
  8. deal — to handle
  9. march — the month
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. kick — in football
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. capital — money
  15. pass — a permit
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. degree — from a university
  20. march — music
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. march — the month
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. sharp — clever

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com